Nikon D7500 vs Canon 80D

Introduction

If you analyze the camera market in depth you will see cameras that are intended for different purposes. For example, you will find cameras specified for landscape photography, sports, wildlife, action, portrait, street, and many more types. However, neither are more futuristic and advanced like the action and wildlife cameras, that require impressive focus, durable bodies, great sensors, speed, and video shooting capabilities.

There quite a few notable options in the market for these kinds of cameras, however, they are all high-end models that cost a small fortune, and when you add the lenses in the equation things just keep adding up, and it is not realistic to invest in such a camera if you are not a professional. Fortunately, some notable exceptions come at a pretty affordable price point that can deliver you plenty of action without breaking the bank, the Nikon D7500 and the Canon 80D.

The Nikon D7500 was released in June 2017. meaning that it is not an old camera. It is a digital single-lens reflex camera with an APS-C sensor, and it is essentially a smaller and more affordable Nikon D500 which is a flagship model. This camera is built for speed and will do its best for action, wildlife, and sports photographers, and since it is a 2 and a half-year-old camera by now it is pretty affordable.

On the other hand, the Canon 80D was released in April 2016. While it is 14 months older than the Nikon D7500, it is not far behind in technology. It has some similarities with its predecessor, and it is pretty close to the flagship 7D Mark II.

 This one is also a good camera for action, wildlife and sports photographers, especially if you pair it with a sports lens. However, this one excels in video shooting thanks to its continuous autofocus during video shooting.

Now let’s move on and take a closer look at both of these cameras. Which one will prevail on top, let’s find out.

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Head To Head Comparison

Nikon D7500

The Nikon D7500 is one of the best enthusiast-level cameras on the market, that is pretty affordable and uses the DX size format. It’s one of the most popular cameras for macro photography. It never ceases to impress with its image quality and top of the class speed, competing with cameras way higher than its weight class. It was released as a mid-range APS-C DSLR camera and is fitted with worthy upgrades that make this camera relevant even 2 years after its release. This camera simply delivers and it works as it should.

Moving on, as I mentioned this camera is a workhorse and has received some great upgrades and new features, but on paper, you might think that this won’t deliver, however, it will prove you wrong. Like most of the cameras in the D7X00 series, the D7500 as well focuses on wildlife and sports photography, speaking about the upgrades it is now a faster shooter, has more buffer, and faster autofocus. It has received a downgrade in the MegaPixels, however, you won’t notice the lesser quality in most of your picture, unless you plan to print billboards.

The design of the Nikon D7500 feels very familiar and similar to its predecessor the D7500, it is just a tad lighter and smaller than it measuring 5.4×4.1×2.9-inches in total and weighs about 22.6-ounces dry. It has a deeper grip compared to its older counterpart, which gives you more security in hand and ultimate comfort. It has a wide range of controls you can use, which are not very friendly for beginners, but if you are up for a challenge it should not be that big of a problem, but it is worth noting that all of them are pretty conveniently placed for fast operation.

This camera uses a carbon fiber construction that is pretty good for the price point, and it has made the camera lighter at that. It is also worth mentioning that this camera is weather-proofed so you shouldn’t worry about using it in extreme weather, it will do perfectly. IT is equipped with a tiltable 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen panel that is very responsive and has one of my favorite features, the touch focus, and shutter, and it gives you great access to all the menus.

The Nikon D7500 utilizes an old autofocus system, but it is a tried and tested one, which is still a specialty tool that performs excellently. It has 51-point autofocus, 15 of them being cross-type autofocus points that offer way more accuracy and coverage. However, it has a nice upgrade with the Group-Area autofocus mode, which improves subject detection, and event tracking, on top of that it enhances focus acquisition and background isolation. During my testing, while shooting a soccer match, I noticed that it tracked the subjects perfectly and adequately, and it didn’t lose focus one bit.

 For image quality, the Nikon D7500 uses a 20.6MP APS-C sensor that delivers excellent quality for a crop-sensor camera. In low light settings, it delivers a tremendous amount of detail, which will require you to use high ISO settings. It has a splendid dynamic range and excels in eliminating noise even in high ISO levels. It has an ISO range that spans from 100 to 51,200, which can be expanded further up to a whopping 1,640,000. On top of all this, it is capable of shooting 4K Ultra High definition video, which is pretty nice to have, however, it is not as great in continuous video autofocus.

Speed-wise this DSLR camera can shoot 8 frames per second in continuous shooting with a pretty wide buffer of 50 raw files. It has a 950-shot battery life in total delivering plenty for your event shooting. It is all possible thanks to the EXPEED 5 image processor that is with a great 180K-pixel metering sensor that is quite an improvement.

Nikon D7500 Sample Images:

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Canon 80D

In direct comparison, the Canon 80D is pretty similar to the Canon 80D, delivering a great mid-range enthusiast camera that is capable of fast shooting, great autofocus, the great sensor with lots of detail and advanced controls. It is worth stating that this camera is not intended for beginners, however, if you choose to get this as a beginner be ready to take on a learning curve. However, this separates itself from the pack with its ability of continuous autofocus in both photo and video shooting, one of the best tools for videographers, if you can live without 4K video.

In terms of design and control layout, the has not changed much from its predecessor the 70D, but it is a great one indeed and the company has made the right decision. As it delivers excellent ergonomics and comfort while shooting thanks to its compact and lightweight body, measuring 3.09×5.47×4.14-inches ad weighs about 1.4-pounds complete with the battery and memory card. The handgrip is pretty deep and on the rear you will find the thumb grip as well, allowing you to hold it comfortably even in one hand. It is equipped with a 3-inch LCD touch screen that is a touchscreen, allowing you amazing controls, tap shutter and focus. Plus on top of that, it has an amazing quality that delivers plenty of sharpness. It is worth stating that it is very durable due to its polycarbonate and magnesium alloy construction and its fully weatherproof.

The Canon 80D’s autofocus system is very capable as it has a 45-point autofocus system, from which all of them are crosspoint, delivering precise shooting. However, its major advantage over its competitors is its Dual Pixel CMOS AF system that makes it perfect for videographers, as it tracks the subject accurately without any budging. It has different focus modes, including Zone, Large Zone, Single-point and 45-point Auto Selection, and upon experimentation, all of them worked excellently. Great autofocus for sports and wildlife shooting.

This camera is equipped with a 24MP APS-C sensor that delivers plenty of sharpness and detail. It will bring out the best shots in any circumstance and will please you at any time. The ISO range of this product spans from 100 to 16,000 and can be expandable up to 25,600. It performed excellently in all ISO settings and was capable of delivering perfect shots in low-light conditions, and even in high ISO settings, the noise was minimal. The colors were excellent and very natural, I was very impressed overall and I don’t think that it can disappoint you.

The Canon 80D was capable of amazing continuous shooting at 7 frames per second and has a buffer limit of 24 raw files before it stops. This means that it is worthy of plenty of sports shooting and with the battery life of about 1000 shots on average you could continue your photographing throughout the day.

Canon 80D Sample Images:

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Nikon D7500 vs Canon 80D Feature Comparison

	Nikon D7500	Canon 80D
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Megapixels	20.6	24
ISO Range	100-51,200(1,640,000)	100-16,000(25,600)
Flip-Out Screen	Yes	Yes
Microphone	YES	YES
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C	APS-C

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Conclusion

Taking everything into consideration, you can’t quite separate these cameras just by looking at the specifications of them. As they are pretty much the same at that, they are pretty much equally priced and are perfect for sports and wildlife enthusiasts. In the end, it will all boil down to personal preference and your intended purpose.

For example, the Nikon D7500 overall, this camera is a great one for wildlife and sport photographers thanks to its impressive continuous autofocus and fast shooting capabilities, if you want to do event and wildlife shooting, without breaking the bank you can’t go wrong with the Nikon D7500.

On the other hand, the Canon 80D is great wildlife and sports camera as well with its fast shooting, and continuous autofocus that was pretty much the same. However, looking a bit deeper thanks to its Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, it is the perfect tool for videographers.

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